Did you ever wonder how solar panels turn sunlight into energy? It???s simpler to explain than you might think.

Solar photovoltaic panels are the type of solar panels that make electricity. We???ll be discussing that kind of panel today. (The other kind, solar thermal panels, turn sunlight directly into heat. They work a little differently, but that???s a subject for another article.)

How Solar Cells Work

The critical portion of a solar electric panel is the silicon wafer. Silicon in its crystal form is a semiconductor. A semiconductor is a material that will conduct an electric current, but only partly. This may not sound very useful. However, when they are ???doped,??? or treated, with special chemicals, semiconductors will gain a positive or negative charge. This makes them very useful for creating an electric current.

A solar cell (the smallest unit within a solar panel) consists of two very thin layers of treated silicon wafer. One has been given a positive charge and the other a negative charge. This creates an electrical field near the top of the cell where they meet.

When photons of sunlight hit this electrical field, the negatively charged silicon layer absorbs them and releases negative particles (electrons). The electrons are attracted toward the positively charged layer. When you connect the layers to an external load (like a light bulb), the voltage differential between them causes electric current to flow.

Making Solar Energy Work for Your Home

A single solar cell only produces a watt or two of electricity. To create enough power to be useful, they have to be combined with many other cells. Individual solar cells are bundled together into modules ??? the multi-cell squares that you see when you look at a solar panel ??? and then framed up into a panel. From there, multiple panels may be strung together in an array to produce sufficient energy to power your home.

Solar panels produce direct current (DC) electricity. For household use, it has to be converted to alternating current (AC) power. That is done by adding a component called an inverter to the system.

Why Solar Energy Rocks

Some solar naysayers claim that solar panels don???t produce enough energy to make up for the energy it takes to produce them. This is a proven myth. Solar panel energy payback is typically four years or less. You can expect them to last at least 25 years, but many last much longer. Clearly, solar panels return far more energy than they consume in manufacturing and distribution. They also consume considerably less water than coal, oil or nuclear.

Once installed, solar panels are extremely reliable. They have no moving parts and require minimal maintenance. They emit no carbon or other pollution while operating. They are as quiet as it gets, and solar energy is becoming increasingly affordable. No wonder many experts predict that solar will become the world???s main energy source by mid-century!

It???s nearly 2015. Many people agree that global climate change is happening, that human activity does influence it, and that putting the brakes on it is critical to our continued economic well-being.

The problem is, where to start?

Like all social values, good stewardship begins in the home. Fortunately, it???s easy to effect green changes at home. When you do, you won???t just be helping to address the climate crisis. You???ll also enjoy reduced energy bills, and most likely increased comfort in your home as well. Here are a few simple things you can do to start:

Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. If you are still using incandescent bulbs, swap them for ENERGY STAR certified bulbs. You???ll save up to 90 percent on your lighting costs. And because the bulbs burn
70-90 percent cooler, you???ll even save on summer cooling bills, too!

Power down your electronics. You probably already turn out the lights when you leave the house, but did you ever think to shut off or unplug your computer or other devices? Even in sleep mode, electronic devices suck a small amount of energy as long as they???re plugged in – that???s why they???re often called ???energy vampires.??? You can use an online energy calculator to find out exactly how much energy you may be losing in this way. An easy way to power down electronics is by plugging them into a power strip. That way you can turn several off with one flip of the switch.

Adjust your thermostat. Want to save 5-15 percent on your heating bills in 2015? Just pile the comforters on your bed and bump down the heat 8-10 degrees at night. According to Energy.gov, you???ll save up to 1 percent per degree setback ??? and you???ll probably sleep better, too. You can use a programmable thermostat to bring the heat up automatically in the morning, so you can still get out of bed in comfort.

Eliminate those drafts. Cold blasts of outside air make your home???s interior uncomfortable in which to live. They also suck huge amounts of heat from your home, costing you a bundle over the course of the heating season. It pays to go through your home with a tube of caulk and some weather stripping, and seal any obvious gaps.

These suggestions are a great way to start, and easy for anyone to do. Once you???ve implemented these, you???ll be ready for the next steps in improving your energy profile. We recommend having a home performance expert do an energy audit on your home. His report will help you determine the most cost-effective ways to reduce your energy use even further.

By then, you may find that you???re ready for the ultimate green power in your home ??? a solar electric or solar hot water system. When you are, give us a call. We???ll be glad to help!

Well, assuming that you have already determined how much power your system will produce, and know what type of panels you are using and how many, the next step is to decide where on your property you will place them. You can mount solar panels on your rooftop, on a nearby outbuilding such as a garage or shed, or on the ground.

Here are the top five things to think about when choosing a spot for your solar panels:

Sun access. Orientation (the direction the panel faces), roof angle and shading all affect how much sunlight will hit your panels. Ideally, you???ll want to choose the spot that gets the greatest amount of direct sun throughout the year.

Physical structure. Solar panels must be anchored to the ground or a building. This requires the installer to select appropriate racking and mounting systems. It also requires that the building or area chosen for the panels be capable of providing suitable support. If the underlying structure needs a great deal of preparation or repair in order to install panels safely, an alternative spot might be preferable. For instance, if the trusses on your roof are not strong enough to bear the extra weight of panels, mounting your panels on the ground may be more cost effective than extensive roof repair.

Aesthetics. As solar panels become more commonplace, we???re hearing fewer objections about the way they look. Many people think they look pretty cool! However, you might not want your panels to be the focal point of your yard. If you have a choice between two good potential mounting spots, consider choosing the one where the solar panels will blend in the best.

Maintenance. In most areas, your panels will need minimal maintenance. However, if you live where it snows a lot in the winter, you may want to place your panels where snow can be cleared from them easily.

Future expansion. Do you think you might want to increase your solar power capacity in the future? Then it makes sense to locate your panels where there???s room to add a few more, if you can.

Sometimes, finding the perfect place to mount your panels is easy. At other times, you might have to weigh the pros and cons, or even make a few compromises. It all depends on your site and your personal preferences.

If you???re having trouble deciding where your panels should go, it can help to consult with someone who???s done it before. We???ve installed hundreds of solar energy systems in Maryland and surrounding states, and we don???t charge to talk! For more information or a free solar quote, just fill out the form at right and one of our experts will be in touch.

If you run a business, your green practices can impress people and lead to increased sales, reports Simon Wicks, editor of Enterprise Nation. ???By adopting sustainable practices and engaging with the local community over green issues, a business helps positively enhance its public image, and thus attract new customers,??? he says, citing research showing that businesses that include a corporate social responsibility focus in their media initiatives enjoy 35 to 50 percent more positive media coverage.

Sustainability brings multiple business benefits

Going green can boost your business in other ways, too, according to sustainability executive Laura M. Thompson. In an article she wrote for Environmental Leader, Thompson points to numerous case studies showing that sustainable business practices can help companies cut costs, reduce employee turnover, increase productivity and attract top talent. ???An investment in sustainability ??? people, planet and prosperity ??? is not only a form of corporate philanthropy, but is also core to how a company can succeed and prosper as a business,??? she says.

The good news is, it???s not hard to start implementing green initiatives that can help your company become more efficient and stand out from your competition.

How to ease your company into going green

A good strategy is to go for the lowest hanging fruit first. These are simple, easy things that make a difference your employees and customers (and your bookkeeper!) can see right away. Some examples include:

Installing energy-efficient light bulbs

Recycling

Switching to electronic record-keeping

Printing on both sides of the paper

You can also do fun things to increase employee awareness of your new green focus. For example, to encourage your employees to bike, walk or carpool to work, ask them to keep track of driving miles saved. Set a goal for your team and treat them to an office party when the goal is reached!

Growing ever greener

Once you???ve got the easy measures down pat, gradually add more sustainable practices to your repertoire. Here are some ideas:

Air-seal and insulate your building

Replace your company car with a hybrid

Add native landscaping

Invest in solar energy

Of course, you don???t have to wait until you???ve become a green business guru to invest in some of these more advanced measures. In fact, making a bold move like installing solar can create even more buzz for companies that don???tyet have a big reputation for going green. And it will benefit them just as much in all the other ways, too.

For more information on solar energy for businesses, simply fill out the no-obligation form at right and we will be in touch with you soon.

Wondering how the solar industry is doing these days? Just take a look at the Solar Energies Industries Association???s latest Solar Market Insight Report, revealing blazing hot growth in the industry for Q2 of 2014.

Strong growth in solar means more jobs and greater availability of the technology. But don???t expect an even distribution of benefits. ???While the entire country benefits from increased solar energy capacity, the placement of these renewable energy facilities is anything but uniform,??? comments Care2 blogger Beth Buczynski. Indeed, a handful of states enjoy the bulk of solar returns.

You might be surprised to learn that a strong solar economy has little to do with the amount of sunshine a state receives. Instead, it???s all about financial policy.

???Individual U.S. jurisdictions have had tremendous amounts of success in subsidizing the cost of solar power installation for homeowners and business owners,??? writes Steve Wright, a guest contributor to CSR Wire. ???States that offer a wide range of subsidies and credits are sure to become even more attractive to solar-powered businesses in the years to come.??? Policy analyst Pierre Bull agrees, commenting, ???The path to rapid solar deployment leads right through state government, where strong and persistent political leadership has spurred much of the nation???s solar growth.???

So which states are the best and worst for solar?

???Without us comparing the impact of their decisions in an apples to apples sort of way, no state would be held accountable for poor policy, because (for example) most people wouldn???t take the time to understand why an RPS solar carve out is something worth enacting into law compared to a property tax exemption,??? say Dave Llorens and Dan Hahn at SolarPowerRocks.com. This solar activist duo recently rated all 50 states for solar friendliness, and compiled a state-by-state solar ranking for 2014.

Here???s the scoop:

Out of the top 10 solar states, six are located on the East Coast, including the top four ranked solar states in the country: Massachusetts, Maryland, New York and Delaware. (Colorado breaks the trend, coming in fifth.) State incentives such as renewable energy tax credits and rebates, performance payment programs like net metering and Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), and the availability of solar leasing and other financing options pave the way for a robust solar economy in these states.

And at the other end of the spectrum? If you took a paintbrush to a U.S. map and swiped right down the center from north to south, you???d hit a majority of the 10 worst states for solar in 2014. These include North Dakota, Mississippi, Arkansas and ??? dead last ??? Oklahoma as the bottom four.

What to do with this information?

The numbers are there for you to use. If your state isn???t supporting solar as much as you???d like, consider showing them to your legislators and making the point ??? as Rosalind Jackson is doing in Mississippi ??? that strong support for solar will benefit everyone in your state.